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The great myth of horse racing is that the game is the regal and royal Sport of Kings. It isn't. Not by a long shot.
Anyone who doubts this need look no further than Suffolk Downs, a once-proud racecourse graced in its glory years by boisterous throngs and champions such as Seabiscuit. Now the blue-collar East Boston track is one of many that have fallen on hard times. These days "Sufferin' Downs" is where grizzled Thoroughbreds come to end their careers, hopeful young jockeys aspire against daunting odds to begin them, and diehard fans cheer, curse and gamble on the entire fascinating spectacle. These bit players are not just cogs of a single, struggling horse track. They are the unseen supporting cast for a $15 billion betting industry.
In fifteen years as a racing reporter and press box personality, T.D. Thornton gained access to remote corners of racetrack life off limits to the general public. He got to know the raucously Runyonesque characters and the quirky personalities of the horses; he learned the tricks of the trade from trainers, owners, and jockeys; he witnessed the tragedies and small triumphs of racing lives lived below the radar. One recent season, he finally decided to write it all down.
Not by a Long Shot is a deeply textured portrait of an industry where even the best in the business lose 75 percent of the time.
- Sales Rank: #1315705 in eBooks
- Published on: 2007-08-05
- Released on: 2007-08-05
- Format: Kindle eBook
From Publishers Weekly
In this intermittently engaging book, Thornton narrates a long season at Boston's Suffolk Downs racetrack, a blue-collar gambling bastion struggling for survival in the casino age. Thornton—who has spent his life around racetracks as a gambler, groom, reporter, announcer and PR man—possesses a deep sympathy for and understanding of the dynamics and contradictions that sustain this threatened world. As our tour director, he introduces the reader to hard-luck horses and eccentric jockeys, gambling scandals and betting strategies, as well as the ice and rain that inevitably make the sport of kings in New England a muddy mess. Thornton's credentials are impeccable, he has unrivaled access, and he delivers keen observations in a style that alternates between workmanlike and poetic. However, the various story lines he traces—a jockey paralyzed in a racing accident, an old gray famous for finishing second, a shady owner, and his father's small stable—are not strong enough to hold the book together or draw the reader all the way in. Any horseracing fan who wants a peek at the inner workings of a track will want to pick this up, but the attention of the general public might wander. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
"Not By a Long Shot is the sort of book American sports writers do better than almost anyone else, filled with anecdotes and atmosphere and underpinned with solid reporting and great quotes. Worth reading even if you're not a race fan." Observer "In Not by a Long Shot, (TD Thornton) offers an insider's version of a single four-month winter season at Suffolk Downs, a day-by-day, blow-by-blow account of the many and varied walks of racetrack life at close to the bottom level... In his most successful sections, Thornton turns the spotlight on an unsung, woebegone array of diehards." Racing Post"
About the Author
T.D. Thornton has written for several newspapers, most notably The Boston Globe and the national Thoroughbred daily The Racing Times. His work has appeared in an array of literary journals, and he often comments on racing on television and radio. He lives outside of Boston.
Most helpful customer reviews
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful.
Great behind the scenes view
By M. Levine
As someone originally from Boston, having spent many afternoons at Suffolk Downs, I'm a little bit biased. However, I found this book to be extremely interesting and very well written. While many books like this are written as advertisements, Mr. Thornton has no problem in exposing some of the less desirable sides of the industry. The overall balance between good and bad, happy and sad, is quite fair. There were passages that made me laugh out loud, others that were quite sad. There is an interesting section that exposes the chaos and corruptness that is Massachusetts state government. I would certainly recommend this book, especially to casual horse racing fans, industry insiders maybe not so much.
25 of 27 people found the following review helpful.
An Insider's View
By K. C. Pears
I've grown up around horses, without really appreciating horse racing, except as the occasional spectator at big event races (or once or twice, as the owner of a former race horse). I found myself completely captured by the book -- not so much because I like horses, but because it brought together for me all of the reasons I worry about horse racing and yet want racing to survive because it is so much a part of the horse "world." Horses are symbols both of freedom and tragedy, as so clearly demnonstrated with this tale.
T.D. Thornton is a masterful writer who does not follow a formula. In some ways, his strong and elegant writing reminds me of another favorite writer, Tracy Kidder, as he lets the story unfold rather than forcing a snappy ending. While Publishers Weekly criticized "Not by a Long Shot" as perhaps not having a strong enough narrative line -- that was exactly what drew me in, because the story never felt contrived or fomulaic. The tale of Suffolk Downs and its cast of characters, both four footed and two (and a few whose legs no longer work) are fascinating. I both wanted to hurry to the end -- and dreaded getting to the end, because that would mean I would have to exit the stage where anything can happen, including an unexpected win from an unlikely pair or a blood chilling accident from a pair that try too hard. I deliberately refused to allow myself to look at the sporting news to see whether Suffolk Downs itself still survives today -- and I won't give away that outcome here.
I found myself eager to spend a day at my own local race track after reading this book, just to compare notes. This book is in the great tradition of memoirs, giving the reader an insider's view of a special place.
Thank you, T.D. Thornton! I'll be looking for your byline elsewhere.
25 of 29 people found the following review helpful.
The fascinating story of a struggling race track at the turn of a new century
By Paul Tognetti
Amid the glimmer and glitz, pomp and pageantry surrounding thoroughbred racing's famed Triple Crown it is very easy to forget that most of the folks who choose to make a living in the racing game toil in relative anonymity and many have a very difficult time just making ends meet. Author T.D. Thornton has been around racetracks for virtually all of his adult working life. "Not By A Long Shot: A Season At A Hard Luck Horse Track" is a story that Thornton felt really needed to be told. For only a tiny percentage of the horses, trainers and jockeys will ever see the big time. Yet without those who ply their trade at "mid-level" tracks like Suffolk Downs in Boston, Charles Town in West Virginia and Rockingham Park in New Hampshire, events like the Kentucky Derby and the Breeders Cup simply could not happen. "Not By A Long Shot" takes a look at the current state of thoroughbred racing in this country. Years in the making, "Not By A Long Shot" chronicles the 2000 spring meet at Boston's Suffolk Downs, a once proud facility now struggling to merely survive. Those who follow the sport will certainly understand what T.D. Thornton is writing about. For the rest of us, this book proves to be a real eye opener.
In the early chapters of "Not By A Long Shot" T.D. Thornton spends some time reviewing the history of thoroughbred racing in these United States. In the 1930's and 1940's thoroughbred racing was at the peak of its popularity. Enormous crowds filled the grandstands on a daily basis at major tracks across the country. Thoroughbreds like "Seabiscuit", "Whirlaway", "Citation" and "War Admiral" were household names. In this era, thoroughbred racing was not just the sport of kings but the sport of the common man as well. With the advent of television racetrack operators balked at the idea of putting their product on TV. They felt that frequent exposure on TV would adversely affect attendance and the handles at their facilities. It was a major tactical mistake. In the meantime, the major professional team sports teams gladly offered their games to the new medium and the popularity of these sports increased exponentially. And as Thornton explains the racing industry would never fully recover. Then in the 1960's and 1970's thoroughbred racing faced more stiff new competition from new state sponsored lotteries that would further diminish the sport. And now the racing industry is reeling from the vigorous competition spawned by the opening of dozens of new casinos all across the nation. Indeed, the future of live horse racing seems to be hanging in the balance.
At various points throughout "Not By A Long Shot" T.D. Thornton introduces us to a number of the colorful charactors who make up the fabric of his beloved Suffolk Downs. Readers will come to appreciate just how difficult it is for most of these folks to eke out a decent living in this business and how dangerous the sport can be as well. Thornton tells the tragic tale of top jockey Rudy Baez who was paralyzed in a serious accident during a race at Suffolk in August of 1999. In an instant his career was over and his life changed forever. Thornton also introduces his readers to many of the "Sufferin' Downs" regulars. A motley crew to say the least! At the same time Thornton gets us all up to speed with some spicy racetrack slang. Although it has been many years since I have been to the races T.D. Thornton has succeeded in whetting my appetite. I hope to visit Suffolk Downs before the current meet ends.
I found "Not By A Long Shot" to be a thoroughly entertaining read from cover to cover. T.D. Thornton is a superb writer who is extremely passionate about his subject. An excellent choice for sports fans and general readers alike. Highly recommended!
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